DESPITE TRIPLE PLAY TIGERS FALL IN 12
Detroit Slips 1/2 Game Behind Yanks
CLEVELAND, Sept. 2 (AP) - The Detroit Tigers turned just the second triple play
of the major league season but still dropped a 3-2 12-inning decision to the
Cleveland Indians at League Park. Earl Averill's bases loaded single with
two outs in the bottom of the 12th scored Bill Knickerbocker with the
game-winning run. The contest featured a fine pitching duel between Alden
Auker of the Tigers and Mel Harder of the Indians but neither starter was around
to receive a decision.
The Tigers scored first with a run off Harder in the top of the second.
Hank Greenberg drew a two-out walk, advanced to second on Marv Owen's base hit
through the box and scored on Gee Walker's single to left.
The Indians tied the game in the bottom half of the inning, but were thwarted in
their attempt at a big inning by the triple play. Joe Vosmik started
things off with a single to center on an 0-2 pitch from Auker and advanced to
third when Odell Hale doubled into the left field corner. Vosmik scored
and Hale took third when shortstop Billy Rogell booted Willie Kamm's ground ball
for an error, tying the game at 1-1 and leaving Cleveland with runners on the
corners. The Indians were poised to take the lead when Knickerbocker
worked the count full and lined the ball back to the mound. Auker snagged
the drive for the first out and fired to third baseman Owen to double off
Hale. Kamm, meanwhile, was all the way down at second base, having
apparently completely lost sight of the play, and Owen threw on to Greenberg at
first base to complete the triple play. The only other triple play in the
major leagues this season was turned by the St. Louis Browns in a 5-0 victory
over the White Sox at Comiskey Park in Chicago on August 12.
The Indians took the lead for the first time in the bottom of the fourth.
Averill led off with a double. One out later, Vosmik walked, putting
runners on first and second. Hale grounded into a fielder's choice,
forcing Vosmik at second, but Kamm lined a single to center, scoring Averill to
give Cleveland a 2-1 advantage.
Both starting pitchers held down the fort until the top of the eighth when
Detroit finally evened the score. Charlie Gehringer led off with a base
hit to center and advanced to second on Goose Goslin's infield single.
Billy Rogell's sacrifice put runners on second and third with one out and
Greenberg's line drive to left allowed Gehringer to tag and score the game's
tying run. Owen walked to put runners on first and second but Walker lined
out to short to end the inning.
The Tigers loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the 11th and the Indians
replaced Harder with Bob Weiland who struck out Mickey Cochrane to end the
threat.
Detroit reliever Chief Hogsett was in his second inning of relief in the 12th
when Cleveland finally broke through. Knickerbocker singled with one out
and, after Moe Berg lined out to first for the second out, pinch hitter Bob
Seeds advanced the runner to second with a base hit. Milt Glatzer drew a
walk to fill the bases and Averill lined a base hit to center to end the game.
The Detroit loss, coupled with the New York Yankees' eighth straight win--a 6-4
victory in the Bronx over the Washington Senators--dropped the Tigers into
second place, a half game behind the new AL leaders.
9/2/1934, Det34-Cle34, League Park 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 R H E LOB DP 1934 Tigers 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 10 2 13 0 1934 Indians 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 8 1 9 1 Tigers AB R H BI AVG Indians AB R H BI AVG White cf 5 0 0 0 .319 Galatzer rf 5 0 1 0 .315 Cochrane c 6 0 0 0 .308 Averill cf 5 1 2 1 .310 Gehringer 2b 6 1 1 0 .389 Trosky 1b 5 0 0 0 .343 Goslin lf 5 0 2 0 .317 Vosmik lf 3 1 1 0 .317 Rogell ss 5 0 1 0 .283 Hale 2b 5 0 1 0 .303 Greenberg 1b 4 1 0 1 .298 Kamm 3b 5 0 1 2 .281 Owen 3b 4 0 2 0 .340 Knickerbocker ss 5 1 1 0 .327 Walker,G rf 5 0 3 1 .300 Berg c 5 0 0 0 .238 Auker p 4 0 1 0 .130 Harder p 4 0 0 0 .111 Fox ph 1 0 0 0 .276 Weiland p 0 0 0 0 .205 Hogsett p 0 0 0 0 .000 Seeds ph 1 0 1 0 .228 45 2 10 2 43 3 8 3 Tigers INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Auker 10.0 5 2 1 2 6 146 96 4.23 Hogsett L 2-5 1.2 3 1 1 2 0 36 22 7.67 11.2 8 3 2 4 6 182 118 Indians INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Harder 10.2 9 2 2 5 4 160 98 3.07 Weiland W 6-6 1.1 1 0 0 0 2 21 13 4.25 12.0 10 2 2 5 6 181 111 Det: Fox batted for Auker in the 11th Cle: Seeds batted for Weiland in the 12th E-Rogell 2, Vosmik. 2B-Averill(32), Hale(35). RBI-Greenberg(109), Walker,G(49), Averill(113), Kamm 2(55). SB-Galatzer(1). K-White, Cochrane 2, Greenberg, Auker 2, Trosky, Hale, Knickerbocker, Berg, Harder 2. BB-White, Goslin, Greenberg 2, Owen, Galatzer, Averill, Vosmik 2. SH-Rogell. GWRBI: Averill Temperature: 72, Sky: clear, Wind: in from center at 15 MPH. Attendance: 3,971 Game Time: 3:06